With the advance of speaker verification technology, some transactions can be automated through interactive voice response (IVR) systems rather than in person. Currently, transactions through IVR systems can accommodate a single user having a single IVR profile for which approval of only the one user is required, or, in the case of a transaction for an account having two or more users, the transaction will only proceed if the approval of only one user is required. For transactions on accounts requiring approval of two or more users, both users must be present in person to verify the desired transaction, and thus an IVR system may not be used.
Consider the example of two users, such as a husband and a wife, who have a shared joint bank account. If only one of them is needed to authorize a transaction, either one of their voice print will be sufficient to authorize the transaction using an IVR system. This, however, may not provide enough security where the desired transaction is of a sensitive nature, such as if the desired transaction amount is significant. If, however, both need to approve the transaction, such as for a more sensitive transaction, both must be present to complete the transaction and an IVR system may not be used for authentication, verification and completion of the transaction. Moreover, the requirement that both parties need to be present to complete the transaction is not convenient for users, particularly where they may be far apart physically.